Lemon Shortbread Cookies

A light twist on a holiday classic, this recipe for Lemon Shortbread Cookies doubles, triples and multiplies as deep as ten times in a snap.  It’s a soft dough and therefore not ideal as a cut cookie, but perfect as a refrigerator cookie!  Simply roll and slice.

Simple Ingredients

Butter, icing sugar and flour.  There is no more classically, simple cookie than smooth, buttery shortbread.  Whether they’re sweet or savory; shortbread cookies are a fast, deliciously satisfying treat and these lemon shortbreads are sure to please.

Mix. Roll. Chill. Slice. Sugar. Chill. Bake.

This is a classic Lemon Shortbread Cookie, with a classic approach.  Mix your dough. Form into a roll. Chill dough (minimum 30 minutes) then slice into 1/4-inch slices, roll each slice in coarse sugar and chill, for 10 minutes, THEN bake. You want your dough as cold as possible when it goes into the oven.

I always bake off a test cookie, to gage spread and timing.  This way I adjust anything needed and don’t risk the whole batch.  You have to eat that cookie. It’s a rule.

Once. Twice. Three times.

I’ve made this recipe commercially, so I can vouch for how well it holds, travels and multiplies.  Beautiful at summer weddings, lightly adorned with royal icing, it also makes a lovely Christmas cookie that’s elegant and almost effortless.

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

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• Author: Cori Horton
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 15 cookies 1x

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Description

A light twist on a holiday classic, this recipe for Lemon Shortbread Cookies doubles, triples and multiplies as deep as ten times in a snap. Those sugary edges are very popular with cookie monsters!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1/4 cup coarse sugar (optional)

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Instructions

1. Cream together butter and icing sugar in bowl, either by hand with a wooden spoon or using an electric mixer – until smooth. Add lemon zest and vanilla and beat lightly. Then add flour and coarse salt and mix just until blended. Dough should be the texture of a course meal and bind easily together with fingertips.
2. Transfer dough to large piece of plastic wrap and roll into a smooth log, approximately 1 ½ inches in diameter, then wrap it tightly with your plastic wrap, twisting the ends to ensure your cookie dough retains moisture then refrigerate until firm; minimum 30 minutes.
3. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Pour coarse sugar into a low, shallow bowl and reserve. Remove dough from fridge, and unwrap on a clean cutting board, cut dough horizontally into 1/4-inch disks. Quickly press each cookie slice in the coarse sugar, being sure to roll the sides so it’s evenly coated. Bake off one test cookie on a parchment lined baking sheet, to test oven temperature, timing and spread (target time: 12 – 15 minutes). While your test cookie is in the oven, slice the rest of your dough and place about 1-inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet, then return tray to the fridge, and chill cookies until ready to slip immediately into the oven. (Ideally, about 10 minutes.)
4. Bake cookies in 350°F (175°C) oven to until edges and bottom are barely golden around edges; about 12 – 15 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.  Store Lemon Shortbread Cookies in an airtight container, away from cookie monsters!

Notes

1. Knife Work: You should get between 12 and fifteen cookies, to gage size I often mark the mid point on my dough and score each cookie slice before I cut, for even results.
2. Plan ahead: You can make a batch or two of Lemon Shortbread Cookies ahead of time because they store beautifully in a roll in your fridge for a week or more and this dough freezes well too! Then you can bake them quickly whenever you want.

• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Cookies
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American